The Duckhorn Portfolio has followed its recent change of ownership with a change of leadership as CEO Deirdre Mahlan stands down.
The former Diageo CFO & North America president is leaving the wine group after almost four years, the last 16 months of which were as its CEO. The position will be filled by Robert Hanson (below), who vacated the position of wine & spirits president at Constellation Brands in February last year.
Hanson, who starts with Duckhorn at the start of next month, has been appointed by new owner Butterfly Equity after the private equity group took the wine business private in October. After spending 11 years with Constellation, he joined Butterfly in March last year as an operating partner on a contracted basis, advising on the Duckhorn transaction.
“I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Deirdre for her exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to Duckhorn,” said Butterfly’s co-founder & -CEO, Adam Waglay. “We are excited to welcome Robert, whose proven track record and deep experience make him the ideal leader to take Duckhorn into its next phase of growth.
“Under Robert’s leadership, I am confident Duckhorn will unlock new opportunities for growth, building on its strong foundation, world-class operations and unmatched ability to deliver premium wine to consumers globally.”
In late 2023, Duckhorn acquired Californian Chardonnay specialist Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards from Brown-Forman, with the Jack Daniel’s owner’s subsequent 21.5% holding in the wine company valued at around $419m following Butterfly’s takeover.
